


Happier

by captainofelos



Series: rina week [1]
Category: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (TV)
Genre: F/M, Rina Week 2020 (HSM: The Series), Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:40:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24142978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captainofelos/pseuds/captainofelos
Summary: Thank you for reading let me know if you enjoyed it :)
Relationships: Gina Porter/Original Character(s), Ricky Bowen/Gina Porter, Ricky Bowen/Gina Porter/Nini Salazar-Roberts
Series: rina week [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1742260
Comments: 3
Kudos: 18





	Happier

**Walking down 29th and Park I saw you in anothers arms only a month we’ve been apart you look happier.**

The first time Ricky Bowen saw Gina Porter and her new boyfriend Jackson, he was skateboarding. He saw the two of them sitting on a bench near the ice cream shop sharing a sundae with bright smiles on their faces. Jackson had one arm around Gina while the other was holding the ice cream. Ricky was so caught up in watching the two of them that he skated right into a pole. He knew he had no right to be jealous of Gina, they broke up months ago. He could feel his smile turn into a frown when he watched Gina feed Jackson some ice cream, like she used to do with him. Not wanting to start any drama Ricky just picks up his skateboard and starts walking away before the happy couple could see him.

**_Saw you walk inside a bar he said something to make you laugh I saw that both your smiles were twice as wide as ours yeah, you look happier, you do_ **

Ricky was at his locker getting his textbooks when he looked over and saw Gina and Jackson walk into East High. Jackson’s arm was draped over Gina’s shoulder as he told Gina a joke. Gina let out a loud laugh and then quickly covered her mouth. Ricky closes his locker, puts his head down and looks down at the ground feeling sad, he hadn’t heard Gina laugh like that in months. It was partly because by the end of their relationship, the two of them were constantly fighting. Ricky knew that Gina was happier with Jackson and that was not going to change. He hadn’t seen Gina smile like she was in months. 

**Ain’t nobody hurt you like I hurt you, but ain’t nobody love you like I do, promise that I will not take it personal, baby, if you’re moving on with someone new**

_ Ricky remembers the night they broke up clearly. They were at EJ’s graduation party when a tipsy Nini comes up to Ricky and kisses him. It took Ricky a few seconds to realize what happened but when he did he pushed Nini out of the way and when he looked up all he saw was Gina staring at the two of them, tears pooling in her eyes. _

_ When Ricky finally caught up with Gina, there were tears were pouring down Gina’s face as she stood in front of him. “I can’t believe you Ricky.” She said, her voice croaked from crying and yelling. “Everyone told me to stay away from you. They told me to avoid you because of the Nini drama, and that you were always going to love her. I ignored them and I shouldn’t have.” _

_ “Gina it wasn’t what it looked like.” Ricky says, eyes filled with tears. “Nini kissed me, I didn’t kiss her.” _

_ “Ricky, your hands were on her waist.” Gina yells furious at Ricky. “I may be an idiot for dating you but I’m not blind.” _

__

_ “Gina, she kissed me, how many more times do I have to say it? I don’t like Nini, I like you.” Ricky yelled back frustrated at Gina for not understanding. _

__

_ “Yeah right Ricky, I believed you before when you told me that the two of you were over. But clearly I shouldn’t have!” Gina yells, and then she takes a deep breath to calm herself down. She grabs her purse and phone and turns to leave the Caswell home.  _

__

_ Ricky gives Gina a confused look and runs to the front of her, blocking her from leaving. “Gina where are you going?” _

__

_ “I’m going home Ricky.” She whispers, voice cracking from all the yelling. _

__

_ Ricky shakes his head. “No. You can't, we haven’t figured things out yet Gi. We always do.” _

__

_ “Not this time Ricky. We’re done.” With that Gina moves around Ricky and opens the door and leaves the curly haired boy standing in the hallway alone with his thoughts watching the girl he loves leave. _

__

**‘Cause baby, you look happier, you do, my friends told me one day I’ll feel it too, and until then I’ll smile to hide the truth, but I know I was happier with you**

__

Ricky looks up and sees East High’s newest power couple walking down the hall. He remembers when it was him and Gina who were the power couple but those days were long over. Gina can feel a familiar stare on her and she locks eyes with Ricky, she gives him a shy smile and a small wave. Ricky just gives her a fake smile and nods his head.

__

To East High Jackson Romo was perfect, he was the star of the school’s baseball team , he could sing and he even volunteered at the hospital on the weekends. But to Ricky Bowen, Jackson Romo was the boy who stole the girl of his dreams.

__

**Sat in the corner of the room, everything’s reminding me of you, nursing an empty bottle and telling myself you’re happier, aren’t you?**

__

Ricky was at Ashlyn’s cast party holding a beer bottle watching Gina and Jackson interact with the rest of his friends. He took another sip and then turns to leave because he couldn’t stand the sight of Jackson with his arms wrapped around Gina, holding her close to his chest, getting along with his friends. He wishes it was him standing in between Kourtney and Red holding Gina in his arms laughing at some joke Carlos told the group. He knew that if Gina saw him drinking she would scold him and tell him he needed to wait until he was twenty one. But then again the reason he was drinking was because he lost her.

**Ain’t nobody hurt you like I hurt you, but ain’t nobody need you like I do, I know that there’s others that deserve you, but my darling, I am still in love with you**

Ricky knows that Jackson deserves Gina more than he does, but that doesn’t help heal a broken heart. It doesn’t stop his feelings towards the girl that helped him get over his fears. The girl who helped push him to stay in the production of High School Musical. The girl who understood his home drama more than Red or Nini. 

Ricky was starting to think he would never find a girl like Gina Porter in his life.

**But I guess you look happier, you do, my friends told me one day I’d feel it too, I could try to smile to hide the truth, I know I was happier with you**

His friends told him to move on, that it wasn't healthy to keep wanting Gina. But no matter how many girls Ricky talked too or how many times Nini tried to get back with him, he couldn’t move on from Gina Porter. She was the one he wanted to be with, but he wasn’t the one she wanted to be with.

Everytime Ricky would see Gina in the halls or at rehearsals, he would fake a smile. He didn’t want her to feel bad for him. But in the back of his mind all he could think about was how the girl he is in love with was happier with another guy.

**Baby, you look happier, you do, I knew one day you’d fall for someone new, but if he breaks your heart like lovers do, just know that I’ll be waiting here for you**

A week after Ricky and Gina broke up he knew she would fall in love again. He just thought it would take longer than it did. He hoped that Gina knew that if Jackson ever broke her heart, he would be there with open arms. 

And so one night, he hears a knock on his door and to his surprise when he opens the door he sees a curly haired girl with tears streaming down her face waiting to be let in.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading let me know if you enjoyed it :)


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